Her Name Is Rio: Turning Song Lyrics Into Baby Names

Aubrey [Bread]

I’Äôve seen a few Rhiannons lately. Mommas, don’Äôt let your babies be named after witches in Fleetwood Mac songs.

Also, in the mid-’Äò80s several babies were named Kyrie (pron. ’Äúcure-ee-ay’Äù). In fact, 76 percent of all runaway teens named Kyrie first left home when they discovered they were named after a Mr. Mister song. (’ÄúWhat mom, there were no Jan Hammer song titles available?!’Äù)

For older songs, I believe Chelsea Clinton was named after ’ÄúChelsea Morning’Äù by Joni Mitchell. Other songs that popularized names were ’ÄúDesiree’Äù (Neil Diamond), ’ÄúLayla’Äù (Eric Clapton) and even ’ÄúMy Sharona’Äù (The Knack singing about a girl who was, um, not bound by traditional morality in the romantic arena). I’Äôm hoping there weren’Äôt many girls named after the songs ’ÄúRoxanne’Äù or ’ÄúLola.’Äù

Not to get all High Fidelity on you, but what are your rules? Is it just song names? A name-only song title, or can their be other words in the title? (the name of the song is actually "Come on Eileen") What about song lyrics? (Wendy is the girl in Springsteen's Born to Run, for example)

Not like I have daughters named Sarah and Johanna or anything. (they're Dylan songs. And family names, I swear!) We already knew too damn many Cassidys (Grateful Dead).

Ricky [Toni Basil]

You mean "Mickey?"

I also went to school with an Aja and an Isis.

Jessica [allman brothers]

way over-used name of my generation. sweet instrumental tune!

Gracie (Ben Folds)

Rapunzel (Dave Matthews Band)
Tommy (Bon Jovi)
Gina (also Bon Jovi)

I'm a Jessica named after the song and the character in Dune which my mother read while pregnant. They had planned on naming me Rhiannon but changed it last minute. My daughters middle name is Rhiannon though (yes, I'm a Fleetwood Mac fan) my other daughter was named after my favorite French movie....Amˆ©lie.

in response to the above comment, my older sister (also a Jessica) was named from Dune as well - her middle name is Alia.
in response to the topic... there're a few 'Molly' songs... Good Golly Miss Molly (Little Richard)and Handsome Molly (Rolling Stones) probably being the most popular.
also, to add to the list - Elvis Costello's Veronica

i was partially named after the song Windy, though they went with the peter pan spelling.

Eveline, Anthony, Thomas, and Helena [Nickel Creek (and from the same album, too)]

Came on to put Veronica but someone already got it. The first ones that come to mind are:
Ben (Jackson 5)
Amie (Pure Prarie League)
Rosanna (Toto)
Sherrie (Journey)
Paula (Paul & Paula)
And names so nice they used em twice:
Amanda (Boston AND Sum 31)
Christine (OMD AND Siouxie and the Banshees)

and last but not least, I would be remiss if I did not mention Meagan's Gypsy Eyes (Blood Sweat & Tears) in which Meagan is spelled correctly but sadly mispronounced (according to ME)

almost forgot, in louisiana there are lots of ladies named after the longfellow poem Evangeline

Oh and Jeannie (Elton John).
My sister Jeanne (her spelling) met Ray Charles once and he sang Little Jeannie to her.

And if you're gonna go Elton, there's also Daniel, Bennie, Levon, Johnny, Nikita, and probably many others that I'm not remembering.

OK I'm stopping now.

We can't leave out that old barbershop favourite Sweet Adeline (also an Elliot Smith tune).

Let's get The Beatles out of the way first (& not from lyrics):
Julia, Michelle, Prudence, Eleanor (Rigby that is), Martha (My Dear), Maxwell (you can add the Silverhammer if a porn name I guess), Lucy, John and/or Yoko (The Ballad of... but one Yoko is enough I think), Maggie Mae, Clarabella, Lizzy, Madonna, Penny, Sadie, Teddy, Mary Jane...& a bold option would to go with Sgt. Pepper.

From Mr. Ben Folds:
Kate, Adelaide, Jackson Cannery (a fav), Emaline, Zak, Sara, Tom, Mary, Juliane, Alice Childress, Satan (risky), Steven, Hiro, Gracie, Judy, Eddie Walker, Dick Holster (riskier), Mitchell

Ophelia by The Band!

and this website has a bunch...
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~msmith03/songtitles/songwomen.htm

My daughters are named Kelsey and Brynn, neither of which have a song as their source. Still, several songs made me consider other names...

"Alison" by Slowdive
"Isobel" by Bjork
"Caroline" by Low & "Caroline's Fingers" by Cocteau Twins
"Ana" by The Pixies and "Ana Ng" by TMBG
"Cybele's Reverie" and "Brigitte" by Stereolab
"Erica's Word" by Game Theory
"Janine" by Soul Coughing
"Claire" by Matt Pond PA

My wife doesn't share my taste in music, so these options were DOA.

Ziggy
Genie
John
Rebel
Velvet
Diamond
Aladdin
Mars
(David Bowie)

Jane & Sergio (Jane's Addiction)

(another) Allison (Elvis Costello)

Grace (is Gone - DMB) - was one of my early candidates for our daughter's name, but it has become really popular lately and my husband wasn't a fan.

We ended up naming her Leah, which is a Roy Orbison tune, though we didn't know that at the time (my dad clued us in after we named her).

My daughter's middle name is Rosalita (shame on you if you don't get the reference).

Adam Sandler wrote a cute song about this topic, called "Listening to the Radio" Here are the lyrics:

Listenin' To The Radio
(From the album "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?")

Performed by Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, and Jon Rosenburg

Where's my Peggy Sue?
I could use a Rosalita
If there's a Long Tall Sally out there
I'm dyin' to meet her
Why can't I hear Beth callin' me?
Why can't I be the one to make Sara smile?
I wish I was arm in arm with Jean genie
Walkin' down the aisle

Oh yeah, all right

But I got no Mary Jane
There's no Sloopy or Dancin' Queen
I'm just a fool in the rain
Waitin' on my Billie Jean

I want an Angie, a Mandy, a Candy-O
A devil in a dress of blue
A Rosanna, Diana, a sweet Caroline
I'd even take a Run-Around Sue

Oh yeah, all right

Well, I never got to scream for a Layla
I never saw Mary-Anne walkin' away
I never danced on the sand with a Rio
Or woke up with a Maggie May

I dialed 867-5309
But there was no Jenny Jenny
Oh, why can't I get myself a brown-eyed girl
When Willie Nelson loved so many?

And why does Jack have Diane?
And why does Billy Joe have Bobbie Sue?
And everybody had Roxanne
Except you-know-who

I want an Angie, a Mandy, a Candy-O
A devil in a dress of blue
A Rosanna, Diana, a sweet Caroline
I'd even take a Run-Around Sue

Well I'd take any ol' Suzy Q
I got no reason to be picky
She can be a Goody-Goody-Two-Shoes
Or she can be my Darling Nikki

Oh, Brandy would be such a fine girl
And so would the sweet Judy Blue
I guess I sound just like that other fella
'Cause you know I wish I had Jessie's girl too

Oh yeah, all right

Well, I'd die for a kiss from Allison
Even though I know she'd break my heart
Or give me a Lo-lo-lo-lola
Minus the extra part

I want an Angie, a Mandy, a Candy-O
A devil in a dress of blue
A Rosanna, Diana, a sweet Caroline
I'd even take a Run-Around Sue

You know I'd even take a Run-Around Sue
Well, I'd even take a Run-Around Sue

Oh yeah, all right

[we'll see who Sandler names his kid after very soon. -ed.]

From the oeuvre of Warren Zevon:

Carmelita
Roland (the Headless Thompson Gunner)
Jeannie (needs a shooter)
Suzie (lightning)

Other notables:
Johnny Hit & Run Paulene (X)
Stephanie Says (Velvet Underground)
Lisa Says (Velvet Underground)
Judy is a Punk (Ramones)
Sheena is a Punk Rocker (Ramones)
Suzy is a Headbanger (Ramones)

I can't believe I'm the first to mention the most obvious one of all - 52 Girls (B-52s) (my count, there's only 24, but hey...)

Effie, Madge and Mabel and Biddie
Tina Louise and Hazel and Mavis
Wanda and Janet and Ronnie and Reba-o-o-o
Kate and Cindy and Crystal and Candy
Mercedes and Joan, Betty and Brenda,
Suzie and Anita and Pheobe and Jackie-o

what about Angie by The Rolling Stones.

that's how my parents came up with my name.

what, no Dynamo Hum?

Felicia - Blues Traveller

Rose (Johnny Cash - "Give My Love To Rose")
Ira (Johnny Cash - "The Ballad of Ira Hayes")
Johnny (Johnny Cash - "The Rebel Johnny Yuma")
Hank (Johnny Cash - "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town")

Rita and Anna (the Beatles - "Lovely Rita" and "Anna(Go To Him)" - not originally a beatles song but was sung by them)

Michael (Franz Ferdinand - "Michael")
Jacqueline (Franz Ferdinand - "Jacqueline")
Sophia (Franz Ferdinand - "All For You Sophia")

Veronica (Elvis Costello - "Veronica")

Linda (Paul McCartney and Wings - "Lovely Linda")
Helen (Paul McCartney and Wings - "Helen Wheels")
Jenny (Paul McCartney - "Jenny Wren")

John (Bob Dylan - "John Brown")
Joey (Bob Dylan - "Joey")

Charlie (The Clash - Charlie Don't Surf")
Tommy (The Clash - "Tommy Gun")
Rudie (The Clash - "Rudies Can't Fail")

Madalena (Ivan Linz - "Madalena" - Brazilian song)

Vera, Chuck and Dave - The Beatles - song "When I'm Sixty-Four"

My baby girl is Cecilia. I can't believe "Cecilia' by Simon and Garfunkle hasn't been listed. What about Daisy? As in Daisy, Daisy give me your answer do.

Anne Jane- the Jayhawks
Desmond- the Beatles
(Crazy)Mary -Pearl Jam

5years late but I found this site while looking for names. I have a daughter named Adia after the Sarah McLachlan song and Elise after the song Letter for Elise by The Cure.